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Keith Olbermann Wants to Return to ESPN (Report)

Wesley Mann

The broadcaster, off the air since his abrupt Current TV exit in 2012, has reportedly met with network president John Skipper.

It's been almost a year since Keith Olbermann abruptly exited his five-year contract with Current TV -- and while the former MSNBC anchor remains a non-presence on television, he has been plotting his next move.

The New York Timesreports that Olbermann recently met with EPSN president John Skipper about the possibility of returning to the network he called home from 1992 to 1997.

“Keith Olbermann, both personally and through a couple people I know, reached out to say, ‘Gee, I would love to have dinner,’” said Skipper, who joined ESPN after Olbermann's somewhat controversial tenure. “I agreed to dinner with Keith because I assumed he’d be provocative and witty and fun to have dinner with, and he was indeed lots of fun. We talked sports and politics, and we had a nice chat. He is very interesting."

Network executives familiar with the situation say Olbmermann has been campaigning for work on the network in the months since the meeting, NYT also reports.

Shortly after departing Current last March, Olbermann filed a lawsuit seeking between an estimated $50 million to $70 million in damages. Current was purchased by Al Jazeera in January.

Olbermann got his start with ESPN working on ESPN Radio, eventually becoming one of the cable network's most familiar faces as co-host of SportsCenter alongside Dan Patrick.